The arteriovenous impulse system in total hip arthroplasty

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Thromboprophylaxis

Background:

• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) remains a significant complication following total hip arthroplasty (THA).
• Current mechanical thromboprophylactic systems show suboptimal utilization in Germany.
• The need for effective DVT prevention strategies in THA is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the A-V Impulse System (AVIS) in enhancing venous blood flow during THA.
• To assess the impact of AVIS on venous flow velocity in specific leg positions relevant to THA.
• To investigate AVIS as a preventative therapy for DVT in THA patients.

Main Methods:

• Duplex-sonography was used to measure maximum venous flow velocity (V. femoralis) in healthy individuals and THA patients.
• Measurements were taken in an operation-identical leg position and an out-stretched leg position.
• The A-V Impulse System (AVIS) was applied during some measurements to assess its effect.

Main Results:

• Absence of AVIS led to decreased venous peak flow velocity during surgery and in the operation-identical leg position.
• AVIS application resulted in a significant increase (p < 0.01) in venous peak flow velocity in both tested scenarios.
• A 75% increase in V. femoralis communis diameter was observed in patients during the THA-specific leg orientation.

Conclusions:

• The A-V Impulse System effectively accelerates venous reflux-flow during hip replacement surgery.
• AVIS demonstrates potential as an early preventative therapy for deep vein thrombosis post-THA.
• This mechanical thromboprophylaxis offers a promising solution to reduce DVT incidence.